|
|
Ray Wilson
Bird & Wildlife Photography
|
|
|
|
|
|
Black Caiman
|
|
Caiman (Melanosuchus) niger
|
|
|
|
Pantanal, Brazil - August 2000
|
| The Black Caiman is the largest member of the Alligator family and grows up to 4m in length. |
|
|
|
Pantanal, Brazil - August 2000
|
| During the winter dry season, the flooded land dries out, stranding numerous large fish in isolated ponds. As the season progresses, these ponds shrink and the water temperature rises, reducing the available disolved oxygen sufficating the fish, and makes them easy pickings for the numerous Caimen. |
|
|
|
Pantanal, Brazil - August 2000
|
| By August the available open water is quite limited and the ponds become quite crowded with the abundant Caiman. In some of the ponds, space was so limited that they were lying on top of one another! |
|
|
|
|
|
